Liver test machine at PIMS non-functional for one week

Kusum Arora, Jalandhar, August 17: PIMS: Liver test machine non-functional for one week. Even as the Punjab Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) was yet to conduct a probe in the CT Scan scam, another ‘EM 360 machine for liver test’ in the Bio-Chemistry Department was lying running out of order for the last one week.While the liver test machine was non-functional, samples collected from the patients were also lying in the department without any expert supervision. As the medical reports could not be prepared after collecting the samples, patients have been waiting for treatment at PIMS. It was learnt that most of the patients under treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the Emergency section of the hospital were also facing difficulty in getting proper treatment by the doctors at PIMS.

Sources said that this shows the poor functioning of PIMS management at the hospital. “Patient’s samples were lying unattended and the machine was lying non-functional. PIMS management was finding it hard to run the hospital and the medical college”, they said. Earlier in the day, PIMS Employees Union members on Thursday morning reached the Labour Court but none from the PIMS management including PIMS Finance Controller Dinesh Mishra and Resident Director Dr Kanwaljit Singh came. “We have informed the management to reach the court at 11 am but they failed to come”, the union members said.Narinder Kumar, union president said, “According to the rules of Department of Medical Education and Research, Punjab, it was mandatory for the PIMS management to provide us salary as per the scales mentioned in the ‘Essential Certificate’ but the management was evasive.” The union members said that following a similar row, the ‘Essential Certificate’ of Gian Sagar Medical College was cancelled recently. “We would also write to the Punjab government to cancel the Essential Certificate of PIMS”, they said.PIMS employees union also shared that they have also made a complaint against PIMS HR Head Harneet Kaur to Principal Secretar, Labour Punjab for threatening the employees for raking salary hike issue. “We have been told that no salary hike would be given. Either work at PIMS or you can leave”, they said.

Dinesh Mishra held a meeting with the PIMS union

Earlier in the evening, Dinesh Mishra held a meeting with the PIMS union, where it was announced that salary would be given as per the Essential Certificate scales. The next hearing in the Labour Court was scheduled for August 23.

PIMS Principal’s statement

PIMS Principal Dr Kulbir Kaur feigned ignorance about the non-functional liver testing machine and said, “Neither I am aware of the non-functional machine nor the salary dispute. This matter was with the PIMS management.”